Engine manifold



June 9, 1925. 1,541,431

vA. C. MASON ENGINE MANIFOLD" Filed March 29, 1920 3 vwewto c flrikuw masop Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR C. MASON, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS COR- PORATION, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A QORPORATION'OE DELAWARE.

ENGINE MANIFOLD.

Application filed. March 29, 1920. Serial No. 369,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. Meson, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Flint, county of Genesee, and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine Manifolds, of which the following is afull, clear, concise, and exact description, such as will on able others skilled in the art to which the H invention relates to make and use the same,

reference being made therein to the accompanying drawings, which form' a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to manifolds for internal combustion engines, the

object being to provide a simple, easily constructed, combined intake and exhaust manifold wherein the exhaust gases are utilized to heat the incoming mixture of hydrocarbon fuel and airto greater or less extent as may be found advisable.

Another object is to provide a manifold of the type set forth adapted to operate in connection with fuel mixtures of different character, for example, with either gasoline as at starting, or kerosene, as under service conditions.

Another characteristic feature of the invention is that it provides a device which 30 permits the feeding and proper mixing of the two difierent fuels with the air by means of the usual carburetors, and which may be utilized to supply more or less heat from the exhaust gases to the incoming mixture, depending on the particular mixture which is being burned. The invention, moreover, provides a manifold wherein a large amount of free exhaust passage may be secured at will to thus relieve the engine of back pressure.

Other objects, among which may be mentioned that of providing a neat symmetrical construction, will be more fully pointed out later. i

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view from the side nearest the engine showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 is an elevation from the side most remote from the engine, parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4.4.-, Fig. 3.

In .the construction shown the entire m n old is m de n a S g e c s i m the openings 88 are each preferably prising an outer shell 1 and an inner shell 2, the latter of which forms the intake 3 that divides and extends laterally and inwardly at 33 to deliver its mixture of air and fuel to the cylinders in the usual way. It will be understood that this air and fuel mixture is supplied from any usual or desired carb-ureter or carbureters (not shown) bolted to the flange 4.

Between the outer and inner shells is the exhaust chamber 5 into which the exhaust gases flow through the openings 666", the middle opening 6 being intended in the present instance to receive the exhaust from the two middle units of a' four cylinder engine whereas the openings 6-6 each take the exhaust from the corresponding end cylinder.- Obviously, the arrangement would vary in accordance with the number of cylinders of the particular engine involved. The opening 6 is positioned about opposite the mid-portion of the intake passage 38", but the openings 6 6 are preferably positioned between the outlet openings of the intake passages 33 and the cor- S0 responding end of the outer shell, so that while the hotgases from the middle cylinders empty initially int-o the exhaust manifold at a point which renders it most effective'to heat the intake, those from the end cylinders are received in pockets beyond the intake. The exhaust manifold is preferably provided with two outlet ports 88,

substantially opposite the inlets 66, and

provided with a suitable valve which may be in the form of a butterfly 9 pivoted to swing about a vertical axis and adapted for operation through the medium of the arms or levers 10' and links 11 12. These ports 8 8 may either open directly into the atmosphere, as in the case of tractor and other heavy duty engines, or may be connected to a suitable exhaust pipe or muffle, in which case they are preferably provided with per- 190 forated flanges or ears 13. The side walls of the casting are preferably connected and reinforced adjacent the ends of the intake passages by bosses 14, perforated at 15 to permit the passage of suitable bolts for attaching the device to the cylinder structure. When the valves 9 are open, it is evident that the exhaust gases from the end cylinders will have comparatively little influence i h ng th nta e; n th th r ha d, as-

suming "he valves are more nearly closed, these gases are chambered with the gases coming through the opening 6 and add materially to the heating effect; in other words, the hot gases are directed more closely into proximity to the intake and a higher rate of heat interchange is set up. Thus by opening the valves to a greater or less degree the temperature of the fuel mixture is under ready control and an efficient mixture may be secured; for example, under starting conditions the valves would ordinarily be closed to rapidly heat the passages, and under conditions of heavy service or in extremely hot weather they may be kept wide open to prevent undesirable loss of volumetric efficiency. The actual manner of operating the valves depends also on the grade of fuel; if gasoline is used, less heat is obviously required than in the case of kerosene, and the manifold permits change from one to the other and a ready accommodation of the heating effect to the demands of the particular fuel mix ture.

I am aware that the actual construction may vary considerably from that shown and described, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited except as indicated by the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A manifold for internal combustion engines comprising an intake passage, an exare received at a plurality of points in the length thereof, said manifold having a plurality of outlets for the exhaust gases near the ends thereof, and valves for controlling said outlets whereby said exhaust gases may be prevented from escaping freely from said outlets and chambered toward the central portion of the exhaust chamber thereof to more highly heat the intake at will.

3. A. manifold for internal combustion engines having an intake passage and an exhaust passage adjacent thereto, whereby the exhaust gases of the engine may be utilized to heat an incoming mixture of fuel and air, said exhaust passage having a central inlet opening, and two other inlet openings lo cated one adjacent each end of said exhaust passage; said exhaust passage having also two outlet openings arranged adjacent the end inlet openings aforesaid, and through which exhaust gases may pass from said inlet openitngs without flowing about said intake passage; and means for regulating the flow of exhaust gases through said outlet openings to thereby control the heating of the intake passage.

4. A manifold for internal combustion engines forming an exhaust passage and an intake passage for a mixture of fuel and air, said passages being so arranged that the intake passage is heated by hot gases escaping throughthe exhaust passage, said exhaust passage having a plurality of inlet openings for the inlet of the exhaust gases from the engine, two of which are located adjacent the two ends of said manifold, and a plurality of outlet openings for the escape of said gases, two of which are located adjacent the ends of said manifold and the two inlet openings aforesaid, and valve mechanism for regulating the flow of exhaust gases through said two outlet openings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR c. MASON. 

